Once again the Forest of Shadows is the scene of a confrontation in the war for Midnight, this time with the action being centred around the Tower of the Moon. Both the Orks and Squats each bring 4,000 points of forces to the table. 45 Victory Points are required to win the battle!
A small Squat outpost had been built close to the Tower of the Moon, evacuated with the outbreak of the war. Even though it has been abandoned, the Squats are determined not to allow the outpost fall into Ork hands! The Orks arrive first and are closer to the tower and the outpost. The river that cuts right through the battlefield is going to be problematic for both armies. There are three bridges which are likely to see much heavy fighting as units bottleneck in to cross the river!
The relatively open terrain better suits the Squats but the placement of objectives does not! They will struggle to pick up many objectives with their slow-moving and heavily outnumbered ranks!
A look along the Squat line. Once again Plasmablast miniatures are used for the Ironshield and Ironhammer Squadrons.
A look along the Squat line. Once again Land Speeders proxy for Ork Copters and Scorchers proxy for Gobsmashas.
In the first meaningful exchanges of the battle, Gyrocopters make pop up attacks, picking off some Gobsmashas and Bonebreakas!
Popping-up Gyrocopters are picked off by returning fire from the Bonebreakas!
The Kult of Speed captures the outpost objective while Copters steal another at the far side of the river from right under the Squat’s noses!
At the opposite end of the battlefield, the Evil Sunz push on to the bridge, scooping up another objective! An Overlord Armoured Airship accompanied by Ironshield tanks lay down heavy fire upon the bridge, making the Evil Sunz pay for their reckless arrogance!
Bad Moons charge into the woods but cannot make it far enough to unleash their firepower this turn!
The Leviathan and Colossus enter the fray! They have the Evil Sunz on the bridge in their sights!
The Evil Sunz come under heavy fire from the Praetorians on the bridge and more Boyz perish…
…while, in the centre of the battlefield, they pick off three Gutrippa tanks!
The Goff Clan, also on foot, charges forward but are unable to get into the fight this turn! Warboss and Commander has no such problems however! He and his retinue of Nobz seize the Tower of the Moon and Power Generator and unleash their awesome firepower upon the Colossus! It loses all of it’s Void Shields in the attack but suffers no damage so far…
Ork Casualties after Turn 1.
Squat Casualties after Turn 1. Commander Nori is pleased with his army’s kill rate but there’s a long way to go…
… especially when his force are struggling to even get close to objectives. Nori himself came closest to snatching an objective but lost out due to the presence of Ork Copters!
Nori’s forces are having to defend deep due to the enemy’s numbers!
The Orks have made significant inroads in terms of territory and have taken 7 objectives with 1 unclaimed! The teams of engineers on board the Colossus do an excellent job and 5 five void shields crackle back to life! They have their work cut out for them next turn, a few broken units and the Squats could suffer another punishing defeat!
End of Turn 1:
Squats 0
Orks 35
Bowelburnas get into position to lay down lethal sprays of flame…
…four squads (stands) of Squats are incinerated in the process! They are fortunate it wasn’t more!
Nobz Bikes race forward behind the woods on the Squat’s right hand flank. Several Gyrocopters are swatted from the air like flies! Surviving Gyrocopters retaliate and pick off most of the Bikers! Meanwhile, a Bonebreaka roars into the woods, hellbent on “smushing” a whole detachment of Berserkers under its Deathrolla! First in line is a squad of Hearthguard but they make their save! The Berserkers make the most of their good fortune and engage several Ork units in Close Combat.
Gyrocopters advance to clear more Evil Sunz boyz from the bridge but are wiped out when Nobz return fire. An Overlord Airship tries to further whittle down the attackers on the bridge…
…but the Evil Sunz are simply replaced by the better equipped Bad Moons clan!
The Squat Bikers charge in to contest the bridge objective. They must capture some objectives or the Orks could win this turn!
Both sides take casualties in the ensuing close combat but the Orks manage to hang on to the objective!
The Ork Kommander Bawhed and his entourage unleash a devastating volley upon the Colossus, supported by Gibletgrindas and Stompas! Commander Nori grimaces as he sees shot after shot pound the praetorian but unbelievably, it survives! It is crippled but that is a small price to be paid given the circumstances! The Leviathan and Colossus cut down swathes of charging Ork Boyz but cannot get to the Nobz and Warboss for now. Is it too late?
The Squats pick off their attackers in close combat but did they capture the objective?
No! The Orks hold on by the skin of their teeth!
The outpost objective looks safe for the time-being.
The Ork casualties are mounting up and the Evil Sunz Clan is broken!
Squat casualties are also mounting up but they are relieved that the Colossus survived the turn! The Iron Eagle Gyrocopter Wing has finally broken however!
The Orks haven’t managed to push on much this turn but they don’t need to! Victory looks assured as they hold 8 objectives and the breaking of the Gyrocopters should see them over the line…but Evil Sunz Bowelburnas fail their morale check and fall back!
This means that the one objective on the red bridge is still unclaimed!
Commander Nori breathes a sigh of relief as his army was very close to suffering an overwhelming defeat! As the Colossus regenerates 3 void shields, he wonders if his brave warriors can turn the tide…
End of Turn 2:
Squats 11
Orks 42
After two Rhinos surge forward to take the outpost objective, Nobz Bikers move their Warbuggies to block off the small bridge…
…preventing the Squats from taking the objective! Out of shot, the Orks once again hit the praetorians with everything they had - but still could not find a shot to take down either! The Colossus and Leviathan instead inflict heavy losses upon the Goff Clan and break the Warboss but fail to kill Kommander Bawhed!
Their Overlord Airships cutting a path for them through the Orks swarming on the bridge, the Squat Bikers make a desperate bid for the objective!
They fail in taking the objective but do manage to contest it for the rest of the turn!
Commander Nori finally takes an objective for the Squats! Never before has his army had to fight so hard for one objective!
Squat losses at the end of turn 3. The Ironshields and Ironhammers were picked off by a Skullhamma and Nobz, breaking them both.
While the Orks have been completely decimated! All clans break!
A Goff Lungbusta contests the outpost objective but fails a morale check, fleeing the battlefield and handing another objective to the Squats! Despite still holding the lion's share of objectives, the Orks may be in trouble!
The Squats hold 2 objectives and contest another, leaving the Orks still in control of 5…
Which means that the Squats somehow manage to snatch victory from the hands of defeat! Inconceivable!
End of Turn 3:
Squats 52
Orks 40
Kommander Bawhed has survived but few of his greenskins have. If those useless minions could have destroyed the Colossus, he would have been the victor! He should have been!
But the day belongs to Commander Nori for one of the most unlikely victories in Squat history! The celebrations shake the ground so much that it is impossible to gain a clear shot of the survivors!
